KZ GUSEN MEMORIAL COMMITTEE

KZ Mauthausen-GUSEN Info-Pages

Explorers´ Feedback

The following gives an overview of feedback to this KZ Mauthausen-GUSEN Web-Site
in hopes of stimulating others to send in their own questions, information,
suggestions or (scientific) contribution to the address mentioned below.
The feedback also demonstrates the lack of knowledge the public,
researchers, authors and students generally have regarding the
KZ Gusen I, II & III concentration camps.

Kellie Lawson, Denver, Colorado, USA wrote:
&quot ... I'm not a survivor, or even a real historian. I'm only 27.
My Grandfather served in Europe in the War and would not
talk about. He's since passed on. The first thing I ever
read was a book on Buchenwald ... I feel like I'm
supposed to DO something, especially since I've accidentally
happened onto sites of revisionists, etc. It frightens me
that anyone could willfully "forget" or deny the holocaust.
I would love to volunteer in some way with some group or
another to keep the candle of knowledge lit. Please tell me
who or what might be interested in accepting volunteers. I
appreciate your help and thank you in advance. By the way,
I've done alot of web searching of holocaust sites and yours
is superb! &quot

000207

Debra Harp wrote:
&quot ... Thank-you so much for this important site. My father was in Patton's 3rd
Army and was involved in the liberation of this area ... &quot

000201

The Staff at Britannica.com wrote:
&quot ... Britannica.com is contacting you because our editors have selected your site as one
of the best on the Internet when reviewed for quality, accuracy of content,
presentation and usability. &quot

000124

XY wrote:
&quot ... I have been looking with great interest at the pages on the web
about the Mauthausen Gusen concentration camp. I am a television Producer
for ... and would very much like to feature the camp in a special
report for our flagship programme ... &quot

Beth Lazaridis wrote:
&quot ... I was very happy to find your page. I would like you to tell me how to
submit my father in laws name to someone that might care. He was a
prisoner for almost 2 years there. I would like to help him document
his memories and to leave his name for the record ... &quot

William J Powers, son of a KZ Gusen liberator, wrote:
&quot ... I was going through some of my fathers photos from WWII and found one
labeled as St. Georgen, Aust. Since my dad spoke Russian, Polish, English and
German, he was taken from Patton's Army in Germany and sent to help liberate
the camps. I assume that he was there to help the victims of the cave camp
there. It was an experience that so changed him that many people failed to
recognise him when he returned to the USA, he looked the same-but his
personallity changed.
He was an infantry Captain known for his caring for his troops,
comradship and courage. After a week freeing the concentration camps he was a
changed man. He lost all interest in the military and any form of violence.
It took years before he regained any sense of humor. Even though he was a
natural leader, he was unable to step forward except in situations where he
sensed an injustice.
Well, his problems were small compared to the denizns of the camps, but I
wanted to tell you what little I knew, and that Capt. William Poplawski was
there to try to help - and add to the record of the disaster ...&quot

990421

Charles R. Sandler, Attorney at Law and former US Military Commander
of the libertated KZ Gusen concentration camps in May-June 1945 , U.S.A. wrote:
&quot ... Once again I want to extend my comenendation to you and your colleagues
for your labour and this very important an menitourous project. Keep up the good work ...&quot

990416

Benito Bermejo, Spain wrote:
&quot ... My congratulations for your very interesting site. Thanks for your
work. I am historian. I teach history in Madrid and I am mysef involved in a
research project about the photos made by the SS in Mauthausen (some
photos are in fact from Gusen) ... &quot

990415

Dinur Center for the Study of Jewish History at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel wrote:
&quot ... Our team has been setting up a web site that offers a variety of
important links and research possibilities. I would like to inform you that
your site KZ Mauthausen-Gusen Info Pages has already been added to our
Internet Resources in Jewish History in the History and Memorial
sections ...&quot

981125

Tom Traub, son of a nurse from the 131st Evacuation Hospital at Gusen, U.S.A. wrote:
&quot ... My mother is Mary M. Wood (Traub), 1st Lieutenant with the 131 Evac
Hospital Unit. She was at the camps and has many photographs that have
been copied and given to the National Holocaust Memorial in Washington,
D.C. in the USA. She is in touch with several of the nurses that were
also there, and they would like to return next year if there are events
going on that are in English. Please advise if there are any scheduled
events for 1999 that these ladies could attend.
My mother has had me do several searches to find information and the web
site you have developed is one of the best ways to memorialize all of
the good people that were there...&quot

981106

Abraham Zuckermann, Survivor of Gusen 2 and founding member
of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, U.S.A. wrote:
&quot ... I´m very proud that someone like you became involved with this great project
to bring justice to the victims and let the world know that there were murderous
camps like Gusen/Mauthausen ...&quot

981103

Marc Vadasz, son of a Gusen 2 survivor, Sweden wrote:
&quot ... my father was in Mauthausen, Gusen II and finally Gunskirchen between
June 1944 and the liberation in May 1945 ... I just checked your very well
made website and it was complete with lots of fascinating information. My
father (he died two years ago) just told me about these &quotnormal&quot things
such as starvation, torture and killings, work and living in the fields for a
year.
Starvation: Starvation was one of the subjects he talked abut the most.
&quotFood&quot was given two times a day. It came in big pots from the kitchen.
In the morning a portion of watery soup was given and in the evening soup
again, but this time a bit thicker. Usualy 25 prisoners shared one pot of
soup. When the &quotfood&quot was served the prisoners stood in line. My father
told me that sometimes two prisoners lifted a dead person and took him to the
line in order to get the dead persons portion of soup. Sometimes bread was
given. One loaf of bread was divided between 10 prisoners. Since the bread
was old, green and usually rotten, it broke in small pieces when it got
divided. In order to be as fair as possible, the bread was put on the ground
and divided in ten small portions. Two prisoners went to the portions. One
of these prisoners turned his back towards the bread and looked at the other
8 prisoners. The second prisoner pointed at one of the portions and asked
&quotwho should have this portion ?&quot , the prisoner with his back towards
the bread answered for example &quotNumber 3&quot . This was done in order to
be as fair as possible. My father also told me about canibalism, specially
at the end during April-May 1945. He never wanted to talk about it. There was
never enough water. Water was kept in large barrels and it was only permitted to
drink on order. If you went to close to the barrels without permission, you
were shot.
Torture and killing: Torture and killings happened all the time. As you know,
the Mauthausen complex was a class 3 camp which meant &quotRueckkehr unerwuenscht&quot and
&quotVernichtung durch Arbeit&quot . When my father told me about
the torture he usually talked about the main Mauthausen camp and specially
the &quotBunker&quot . He saw &quotfresh&quot prisoners being dragged towards
the bunker, heard screams and shots from this place. The prisoners who were forced
in the Bunker never were seen again. Another terrible torture was the
&quot Apellplatz&quot in the Mauthausen camp. As you know the prisoners were
counted every day for hours. Several prisoners died everyday of this procedure.
During the winter the guards sprayed water on the prisoners and many frooze
to death. Ofcourse the Wienergraben is not to be forgotten. In Gusen, my
father told me about how the guards drowned prisoners in the water barrells.
This was a &quotfavourite&quot torture and happened everyday, specially with the
so called &quotMuselmaenner&quot , the prisoners who were more dead than alive.
Another common torture/killing was hanging the prisoners from there arms on special
hooks in the wall until they died. The so called &quotFuenf und Zwanzig&quot (25) torture
was also common. A prisoner was tied down and whipped 25 times. The
&quotKapos&quot were specially cruel. It happened that these guards could force the
prisoners to do gymnastic exercises and run around for hours AFTER working
in the tunnels for 16 hours. The Kapos always used a whip or stick and
constantly hit the prisoners. Many prisoners were killed by these
excersises. My father mentioned one Kapo, &quotMarek&quot .
Work: My father had not so many problems talking about the Mauthausen year
except when talking about the Gusen tunnels. He just could not talk about
that. He always avoided the subject. What he did mention was digging in the
dark, being hit by the gurads, prisoners being crushed by the stones. He
mentioned the &quotWienergraben&quot and the 186 steps. Up and down up and down
carrying rocks, the guards hitting and prisoners being pushed down the wall
and killed. But you were interested in Gusen, not the main camp. Sorry,
he avoided the subject of the tunnels, it must have been a horror.
Living in the fields: Not all the prisoners had the &quotluxury&quot of living in
the barracks. My father spent the entire year living outside in the fields.
Every morning a special kommando (&quotSonderkommando&quot ) was organized.
This commando was given the order to collect all the corpses, put them on a cart
and drive them to the crematorium. It happened that a guard gave order to
put a &quotnearly&quot dead prisoner on the cart. Even if the prisoner was still
alive he was thrown in the fire. the barracks were divided in two parts, one
where the prisoners lived (Stube A) and one called the &quotBahnof&quot (Stube B).
If you were dying, to weak to work or very sick, you were thrown in the
&quotBahnhof&quot to die, without any water, light or food, just prisoner laying
together on the floor, dying. Once a day the dead were collected on the cart
and driven away to the creamtorium ...&quot

Nicolas Weinberg, France wrote:
&quot ... My great-parents and their family were Jewish from Austria. They all died.
I know my great-grand father and his wife were deported to Terezin ... I wonder if
the Austrian Jews were directly sent to Terezin, or transited by Gusen. I also wonder
if there is any &quot Totenbuch&quot of Gusen ...&quot

980922

Christine Kuster, Chapel Hill, NC, USA wrote:
&quot ... My father was a prisoner at Mauthausen-Gusen for two years and was released
at the time of liberation ... Are there any records of prisoners available as far
as when they were sent there ...&quot

980921

Madolynn Cronk, Editorial Division of Encyclopedia Britannica wrote:
&quot ... As you stated, Gusen was indeed named in an earlier edition of Encyclopaedia
Britannica. The 1973 Britannica article entitled &quotconcentration camps&quot was a
treatment of internment centres in general and included separate sections on military
concentration camps, political concentration camps, corrective labour camps of the
Soviet Union, and concentration camps of Nazi Germany. In the section on Nazi Germany,
it is stated that by 1939 six major camps had been established: Dachau, Sachsenhausan,
Buchenwald, Mauthausen, Flossenburg, and Ravensbruck. The next paragraph, moving forward
in history, includes a reference to Gusen, where the text states that from
1940 to 1942 nine new camps were established: Auschwitz, Neuengamme, Gusen, Natzweiler,
Gross Rosen, Lublin, Niederhagen, Stutthof, and Arbeitsdorf ...&quot

980916

Theo Joos, Bibliotheek Universitair Centrum Antwerpen, Belgium wrote:
&quot ... I thank you for your prompt answer and I am looking forward, with patience of
course, to the answers on my request also at the Archives of the Mauthausen Museum in
Vienna ... Into the near future, when my personal homepage will be ready, your
site and some others will be linked with your permission if you would like to
give me the opportunity and this not for my glory but for those who suffered and
died with no guilt against mankind. I insist on thanking you for your kind cooperation ...&quot

980908

Nehemias Nunez, El Paso Holocaust Museum & Study Center, USA wrote:
&quot ... Sir thank you very much. All assistance in our project is greatly needed,
the information you have given us will be added ...&quot

980829

Cindy Martinusen, San Francisco, USA wrote:
&quot ... I am currently contracted to write a novel for an American publisher.
The book is set in contemporary time, mostly in Austria with an unsolved
mystery from WWII Europe. I was interested in more information about
Mauthausen-Gusen. My husband and I will be traveling to Austria in October
to do further research. If you have any information, I would greatly
appreciate it. One particular question that perhaps you would know, which
camps were Austrian citizens who were opposed to the Nazis sent to before
the war? I hope you can help me. Especially when I read that Gusen has been
forgotten, I thought perhaps this would be a way to help memorialize the
camp and victims ...&quot

Victor Kielich, Survivor of KZ Gusen I, Waikanane, New Zealand wrote:
&quot ... I got your address from Internet ... I am 78 years old and in reasonable health.
I was arrested on 25 of February 1940 and till October 1940 I was in Fort VII in Poznan, Poland.
From there I was transferred to Concentration Camp Mauthausen No. 8062. On 6 January 1941
I was sent to Gusen 1 and been there until 5.5.1945. My Gusen No. was 43446 ... Yesterday I
decided to look into Internet and wrote Mauthausen-Gusen. To my surprise I got all the beautiful
presented information and the article written by Albert J. Kosiek whom I still see standing
on the tank saying: &quotBracia jestescie wolni - BROTHERS YOU ARE FREE&quot ...&quot

980527

Valter Amadini, Brescia, Italy wrote:
&quot ... My grandfather and all the others are alive in our memory and we must
fight because their awful deaths don´t remain forgotten. Thanks a lot for your work
that can guarantee that my grandfather´s death, and the death of every victims of Gusen
camps have not been in vain ...&quot

980525

The 4th period class, Beulah High School, Alabama wrote:
&quot ... During working on this info-pages we learned about the third Reich
during WWII. As we learned, we noticed that the Germans had a well organized
military. What they used it for was wrong, to our minds. Their military was
used in an attempt at world domination. This was wrong because it would abolish
a lot of common freedoms. As we learned about these camps, we found that these
freedoms were already taken from some people. The camps were an example of what
might have happened if Germany did take over the world.
During this assignment we learned that the Gusen camps were as large and terrible
as they were. We also learned that executions were made in more ways than shooting.
We also learned that many innocent people died. Finally, we learned that the
Holocaust and the reason for the war were two different things...&quot

980523

Dr. David Querido, University of Cape Town, Republic of South Africa wrote:
&quot ... I have just visited (http://linz.orf.at/orf/gusen/gumed01x.htm)
and found your account of KZ Mauthausen-GUSEN very enlighting. Could you please let me know whether
there is any information about the fate of Dr. Eduard Krebsbach after World War II - or of
any other medical personnel who served at Mauthausen-Gusen during the war ...&quot

Marc Rosenblitt, USA wrote:
&quot ... I am the grandson of Charles R. Sandler ... Mr. Sandler is a former member of
the 21st Armored Infantery Battalion of the 11th Armored Division, U.S. 3rd Army.
He was a Major and 2nd in command of his Battalion on May 5, 1945 when it was part
of the task force which liberated Mauthausen and Gusen concentration camps. He served
at Mauthausen ... and was in command of the troops that administered Gusen for the
balance of May 1945 ... I suggest that you contact him by mail ...&quot

980331

Chuck Tipton, USA wrote:
&quot ... Thanks so much for the informative and interesting Gusen site ... Your site is moving,
well documented and very interesting - I thank you for your efforts at educating us all with
regard to Gusen and the story of the camps ...&quot

980213

Perry Pierik, The Netherlands wrote:
&quot ... I read this page with interest and made a copy for my archive. As an historian
I´m also interested in this black chapter of European history. I wrote aboute the Holocaust
in my book &quotHungary 44/45 - The forgotten tragedy&quot by my own publishing house ...&quot

Lise C. Birch, daughter of U.S. Army nurse that worked at Gusen after liberation wrote:
&quot ... I found these pages while looking for some information about my mother.
She and several Army nurses were part of the liberation of the camp and took care of the survivors ...
They were members of the 131st Evacuation Hospital ... They feel very strongly about being a part
of this remembrance, as the lives of the victims and the survivors touch them still; and should not
be firgotten ...&quot

980109

Pierre Serge Choumoff, Secretaire general du Comite international du Souvenier de Gusen e
Secretaire de l´Amicale francaise de Mauthausen wrote:
&quot ... I am very glad that the Kosiek´s paper is finally made available thanks to you...
I am happy to be close linked with both of you... in Elisabeth Hoelzl´s book...
To reprint Aldebert´s drawings so well reproduced is a great event! This is a splendid
achievement...&quot

980105

Bill Leesemann, Jr., Safety Harbor, Florida, U.S.A. (Liberator, 101 Engr Combat Bn, 26th Inf Div)
wrote: &quot ... Thank you so much for ... the Internet address of your St.Georgen/Gusen report.
I passed your Internet address to my son in New Jersey who promptly called up your fine report, which I thought might have some of the detail found in your publication &quot 300 Jahre&quot and forwarded some of the material to me on our free library e-mail system available in all states and 20 countries.
I was unaware that Gusen camps were involved so heavily in the Me-109 and
Me-262 production... Have you seen Stephen Ambrose´s new book &quot Citizen Soldier&quot ?
An extract from my memoir was used and appears on pp. 335/6. Mr. Ambrose has quite
a following on military history with many books to his credit and this one
still on the best seller´s list over 2 months...&quot

Paul L. Walker, Wheeling, West Virginia, USA (Liberator) wrote: &quot ... I was at
Camp Mauthausen - Camp Gusen 8 May 1945 with the 131 Evac Hospital SM and I believe
I saw Franz Ziereis at Camp Gusen hung on a fence... I am
trying to get some info about what I saw... While at Camp Gusen
we x-rayed many inmates and saw many things that were hard to understand.
I would appreciate any help I can get about Gusen and Mauthausen...&quot

Charles V. Ferree, Military Order of the World Wars, USA wrote: &quotCongratulations
from America! My heart felt thanks and congratulations for the courage necessary to
build such a page. I am a WW-II veteran, also a &quotWitness-Liberator&quot . I have many friends in
Germany and especially Austria. I have met Mr. Wiesenthal several times, and am very
proud of your web site. It is most important that the world know the truth. My warmest regards, ...&quot

970817

XY wrote: &quotMy aunt was denied compensation from the German Article 2 Fund
based on the fact that she does not have documentation about having been in concentration camp in
Mauthausen. Furthermore, they wrote to her stating that Mauthausen was a man´s camp and do not
accept the fact that SHE was there. Please provide me with data pertaining to the
Mauthausen concentration camp or suggestions as to where exactly I can find data
providing that there were female prisoners there also ... Thank you very much.&quot

970731

Pierre Serge Choumoff, Secretaire general du Comite international du Souvenier de Gusen e
Secretaire de l´Amicale francaise de Mauthausen wrote: &quot ... Thank
you also for having sent this interesting info-pages on Gusen.
What for such important work! ...&quot

970725

P. Batek, Toronto, Canada wrote: &quot... May I commend you
on the touching story regarding the liberation of Mauthausen. May I also offer
my assistance on further endeavours ...&quot

970723

K. Comess, University of Washington (USA) wrote: &quot... Congratulations on
your superb page on Guzen (Gusen). I have been a student of the war for many
years and knew nothing whatsoever of the camp until I read your page. Keep
up the good work...&quot

970713

Anita H., USA wrote: &quot... My father
was with General Patton during WWII and believes that it was Mauthausen
Concentration Camp that was liberated by him. I have read the account
of S/Sgt. Al Kosiek and found this link to you. If you can provide
me with any further information concerning Gerneral Patton´s participation,
however, small, I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you in advance, ...&quot

970712

Bruce Edwards, Rutland, VT (USA) wrote: &quot... Just
took a tour of your Web page, and I must say I´m very impressed with the scope
and depth of your presentation. It´s one of the best pages on the Holocaust
I´ve seen. I have a question, perhaps you can answer. Was slave labor employed
by the private sector for stone quarry work in France? I´m particularly
interested in finding out whether a certain Swiss company that owned marble
and limestone quarries in France and Germany would have used forced labor.
Regards ...&quot

970711

Robert H. Abzug, USA wrote: &quot... As a historian
whose work has dealt with the Mauthausen complex and the liberation of the
various camps, including Gusen, I want to congratulate you on creating this
Web Site, about which I just learned from the Holocaust History List on the
Internet. You are truly doing a service to both the public and to the historical
profession in presenting such a growing and comprehensive picture of the
camp. I learned much just from my first contact with it, and will return soon.
Best ...&quot

970707

XY, USA wrote: &quot... I have visited your very
fine website memorializing Gusen/Mauthausen/Linz camp complex. I wonder if
you know anything about Lager Bindermichl which was at the far South end
of Linz. It seems to have been a work camp, with low security (no watchtowers, just a fence)
with about 2000 inmates, including Poles, Soviet soldiers, and others.
I have never been able to find any reference to it and I don´t know if it
was part of the Gusen complex. Neither do I find any reference to the role
of the 260th Infantry Regiment of the 65th Division in the liberation
of Linz-Urfahr and Enns on 7 May 1945. It was a short walk from Bindermichl to a hill
overlooking Hoersching, where the US Army had a small landing strip.
Also near the hill was a tiny burial ground, with markers indicating
that Alois and Klara Hitler were buried there. Does your website have
a detailed wartime map of Linz?&quot

970707

Michael Fingerhut, France wrote: &quot... I´d like
to commend you for the impressive work you put. I linked the page ... into
my server MEDIATHEQUE-FRANCE&quot

970703

Johan Eneroth wrote: &quot... My congratulations
at an excellent site (KZ Mauthausen-Gusen). It is factual,
captivating and well structured. You have set an example for
other camp sites. Keep up the good work! ...&quot

970625

Arnold Kramer (USHMM), USA wrote: &quot... We have
made a link from the web page of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum to you
very good website about KZ Mauthausen-GUSEN. Best wishes ...&quot

970620

Debra Cohen, USA wrote: &quot... Thank you for
the new web listing. ... I will make sure to include the literature in
my research. Thank you again! ...&quot

Annie Alpert (Nizkor volunteer), USA wrote: &quot... I had already heared about
your excellent website from another friend, and I have included it on my list of bookmarks.
I´ll be happy to add it to our list of links. Thanks!&quot

Chuck Ferree, USA wrote: &quotThanks for the new web site on Gusen.
I was there in May of 1945, also Mauthausen.
I was a pilot in the US Air Corps, flying VIPS to the various Nazi Camps.&quot

970608

Fritz Voll (Jewish-Christian Relations), Calgary, Alberta, Canada wrote: &quotI discovered
your Mauthausen/Gusen Web site today and have not finished reading it yet.
Thank you for this site and the information it contains. I think I will have
to make a link to it and possibly similar sites on my pages about Jewish-Christian
relations. If you have info about other sites, please let me know ... Freundliche Gruesse, ...&quot

970606

Mike Dunn (The Cybrary of the Holocaust), USA wrote: &quotGreat, I´ll go for a visit and of course will link with you ...
I´d be glad to share our trafic with you ...&quot